memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第25章

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；　I　infer　that　the　comparison；　as　to　cavalry　losses；　is　a　〃stand…off。〃

I　have　no　doubt　that　the　Southern　officers　flattered　themselves　that　they　had　filled　and　crippled　of　us　two　and　even　six　to　one；　as　stated　by　Johnston；　but　they　were　simply　mistaken；　and　I　herewith　submit　official　tabular　statements　made　up　from　the　archives　of　the　War　Department；　in　proof　thereof。　United　States　Army　commanding。


I　have　also　had　a　careful　tabular　statement　compiled　from　official　records　in　the　adjutant…general's　office；　giving　the　〃effective　strength〃　of　the　army　under　my　command　for　each　of　the　months　of　May；　June；　July；　August；　and　September；　1864；　which　enumerate　every　man　（infantry；　artillery；　and　cavalry）　for　duty。　　The　recapitulation　clearly　exhibits　the　actual　truth。　　We　opened　the　campaign　with　98；797　（ninety…eight　thousand　seven　hundred　and　ninety…seven）　men。　　Blair's　two　divisions　joined　us　early　in　June；　giving　112；819　（one　hundred　and　twelve　thousand　eight　hundred　and　nineteen）；　which　number　gradually　became　reduced　to　106；070　（one　hundred　and　six　thousand　and　seventy　men）；　91；675　（ninety…one　thousand　six　hundred　and　seventy…five）；　and　81；758　（eighty…one　thousand　seven　hundred　and　fifty…eight）　at　the　end　of　the　campaign。　This　gradual　reduction　was　not　altogether　owing　to　death　and　wounds；　but　to　the　expiration　of　service；　or　by　detachments　sent　to　points　at　the　rear。




CHAPTER　XX

ATLANTA　AND　AFTERPURSUIT　OF　HOOD。

SEPTEMBER　AND　OCTOBER；　1864。


By　the　middle　of　September；　matters　and　things　had　settled　down　in　Atlanta；　so　that　we　felt　perfectly　at　home。　　The　telegraph　and　railroads　were　repaired；　and　we　had　uninterrupted　communication　to　the　rear。　　The　trains　arrived　with　regularity　and　dispatch；　and　brought　us　ample　supplies。　　General　Wheeler　had　been　driven　out　of　Middle　Tennessee；　escaping　south　across　the　Tennessee　River　at　Bainbridge；　and　things　looked　as　though　we　were　to　have　a　period　of　repose。

One　day；　two　citizens；　Messrs。　Hill　and　Foster；　came　into　our　lines　at　Decatur；　and　were　sent　to　my　headquarters。　　They　represented　themselves　as　former　members　of　Congress；　and　particular　friends　of　my　brother　John　Sherman；　that　Mr。　Hill　had　a　son　killed　in　the　rebel　army　as　it　fell　back　before　us　somewhere　near　Cassville；　and　they　wanted　to　obtain　the　body；　having　learned　from　a　comrade　where　it　was　buried。　　I　gave　them　permission　to　go　by　rail　to　the　rear；　with　a　note　to　the　commanding　officer；　General　John　E。　Smith；　at　Cartersville；　requiring　him　to　furnish　them　an　escort　and　an　ambulance　for　the　purpose。　　I　invited　them　to　take　dinner　with　our　mess；　and　we　naturally　ran　into　a　general　conversation　about　politics　and　the　devastation　and　ruin　caused　by　the　war。　　They　had　seen　a　part　of　the　country　over　which　the　army　had　passed；　and　could　easily　apply　its　measure　of　desolation　to　the　remainder　of　the　State；　if　necessity　should　compel　us　to　go　ahead。

Mr。　Hill　resided　at　Madison；　on　the　main　road　to　Augusta；　and　seemed　to　realize　fully　the　danger；　said　that　farther　resistance　on　the　part　of　the　South　was　madness；　that　he　hoped　Governor　Brown；　of　Georgia；　would　so　proclaim　it；　and　withdraw　his　people　from　the　rebellion；　in　pursuance　of　what　was　known　as　the　policy　of　〃separate　State　action。〃　　I　told　him；　if　he　saw　Governor　Brown；　to　describe　to　him　fully　what　he　had　seen；　and　to　say　that　if　he　remained　inert；　I　would　be　compelled　to　go　ahead；　devastating　the　State　in　its　whole　length　and　breadth；　that　there　was　no　adequate　force　to　stop　us；　etc。；　but　if　he　would　issue　his　proclamation　withdrawing　his　State　troops　from　the　armies　of　the　Confederacy；　I　would　spare　the　State；　and　in　our　passage　across　it　confine　the　troops　to　the　main　roads；　and　would；　moreover；　pay　for　all　the　corn　and　food　we　needed。　　I　also　told　Mr。　Hill　that　he　might；　in　my　name；　invite　Governor　Brown　to　visit　Atlanta；　that　I　would　give　him　a　safeguard；　and　that　if　he　wanted　to　make　a　speech；　I　would　guarantee　him　as　full　and　respectable　an　audience　as　any　he　had　ever　spoken　to。　　I　believe　that　Mr。　Hill；　after　reaching　his　home　at　Madison；　went　to　Milledgeville；　the　capital　of　the　State；　and　delivered　the　message　to　Governor　Brown。　　I　had　also　sent　similar　messages　by　Judge　Wright　of　Rome；　Georgia；　and　by　Mr。　King；　of　Marietta。　　On　the　15th　of　September　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck　as　follows：


My　report　is　done；　and　will　be　forwarded　as　soon　as　I　get　in　a　few　more　of　the　subordinate　reports。　　I　am　awaiting　a　courier　from　General　Grant。　　All　well；　the　troops　are　in　good；　healthy　camps；　and　supplies　are　coming　forward　finely。　　Governor　Brown　has　disbanded　his　militia；　to　gather　the　corn　and　sorghum　of　the　State。　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　he　and　Stephens　want　to　visit　me；　and　have　sent　them　hearty　invitation。　　I　will　exchange　two　thousand　prisoners　with　Hood；　but　no　more。


Governor　Brown's　action　at　that　time　is　fully　explained　by　the　following　letter；　since　made　public；　which　was　then　only　known　to　us　in　part　by　hearsay：


EXECUTIVE　DEPARTMENT　MILLEDGEVILLE；　GEORGIA；　September　10；　1864

General　J。　B。　HOOD；　commanding　army　of　Tennessee。

GENERAL：　As　the　militia　of　the　State　were　called　out　for　the　defense　of　Atlanta　daring　the　campaign　against　it；　which　has　terminated　by　the　fall　of　the　city　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　and　as　many　of　these　left　their　homes　without　preparation　（expecting　to　be　gone　but　a　few　weeks）；　who　have　remained　in　service　over　three　months　（most　of　the　time　in　the　trenches）；　justice　requires　that　they　be　permitted；　while　the　enemy　are　preparing　for　the　winter　campaign；　to　return　to　their　homes；　and　look　for　a　time　after　important　interests；　and　prepare　themselves　for　such　service　as　may　be　required　when　another　campaign　commences　against　other　important　points　in　the　State。　　I　therefore　hereby　withdraw　said　organization　from　your　command　。　　。　　。　　。

JOSEPH　C。　BROWN


This　militia　had　composed　a　division　under　command　of　Major…General　Gustavus　W。　　Smith；　and　were　thus　dispersed　to　their　homes；　to　gather　the　corn　and　sorghum；　then　ripe　and　ready　for　the　harvesters。

On　the　17th　I　received　by　telegraph　from　President　Lincoln　this　dispatch：


WASHINGTON；　D。C。；　September　17；　1864

Major…General　SHERMAN：

I　feel　great　interest　in　the　subjects　of　your　dispatch；　mentioning　corn　and　sorghum；　and　the　contemplated　visit　to　you。

A。　LINCOLN；　President　of　the　United　States。


I　replied　at　once：


HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　ATLANTA；　GEORGIA；　September　17；　1864。

President　LINCOLN；　Washington。；　D。　C。：

I　will　keep　the　department　fully　advised　of　all　developments　connected　with　the　subject　in　which　you　feel　interested。


Mr。　Wright；　former　member　of　Congress　from　Rome；　Georgia；　and　Mr。　King；　of　Marietta；　are　now　going　between　Governor　Brown　and　myself。　I　have　said　to　them　that　some　of　the　people　of　Georgia　are　engaged　in　rebellion；　began　in　error　and　perpetuated　in　pride；　but　that　Georgia　can　now　save　herself　from　the　devastations　of　war　preparing　for　her；　only　by　withdrawing　her　quota　out　of　the　Confederate　Army；　and　aiding　me　to　expel　Hood　from　the　borders　of　the　State；　in　which　event；　instead　of　desolating　the　land　as　we　progress；　I　will　keep　our　men　to　the　high…roads　and　commons；　and　pay　for　the　corn　and　meat　we　need　and　take。

I　am　fully　conscious　of　the　delicate　nature　of　such　assertions；　but　it　would　be　a　magnificent　stroke　of　policy　if　we　could；　without　surrendering　principle　or　a　foot　of　ground；　arouse　the　latent　enmity　of　Georgia　against　Davis。

The　people　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that　Mr。　Stephens　was　and　is　a　Union　man　at　heart；　and　they　say　that　Davis　will　not　trust　him　or　let　him　have　a　share　in　his　Government。

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。


I　have　not　the　least　doubt　that　Governor　Brown；　at　that　time；　seriously　entertained　the　proposition；　but　he　hardly　felt　ready　to　act；　and　simply　gave　a　furlough　to　the　militia；　and　called　a　special　session　of　the　Legislature；　to　meet　at　Milledgeville；　to　take　into　consideration　the　critical　condition　of　affairs　in　the　State。

On　the　20th　of　September　Colonel　Horace　Porter　arrived　from　General　Grant；　at　City　Point；　bringing　me　the　letter　of　September　12th；　asking　my　general　views　as　to　what　should　next　be　done。　　He　staid　several　days　at　Atlanta；　and　on　his　return　carried　back　to　Washington　my　full　reports　of　the　past　campaign；　and　my　letter　of　September　20th　to　General　Grant　in　answer　to　his　of　the　12th。

About　this　time　we　detected　signs　of　activity　on　the　part　of　the　enemy。　　On　the　21st　Hood　shifted　his　army　across　from　the　Mason　road；　at　Lovejoy's；　to　the　West　Point　road；　at　Palmetto　Station；　and　his　cavalry　appeared　on　the　west　side　of　the　Chattahoochee；　toward　Powder　Springs；　thus；　as　it　were；　stepping　aside；　and　opening　wide　the　door　for　us　to　enter　Central　Georgia。　　I　inferred；　however；　that　his　real　purpose　was　to　assume　the　offensive　against　our　railroads；　and　on　the　24th　a　heavy　force　of　cavalry　from　Mississippi；　under　General　Forrest；　made　its　appearance　at　Athena；　Alabama；　and　captured　its　garrison。

General　Newton's　division　（of　the　Fourth　Corps）；　and　Corse's　（of　the　Seventeenth）；　were　sent　back　by　rail；　the　former　to　Chattanooga；　and　the　latter　to　Rome。　　On　the　25th　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck：

Hood　seems　to　be　moving；　as　it　were；　to　the　Alabama　line；　leaving　open　the　road　to　Mason；　as　also　to　Augusta；　but　his　cavalry　is　busy　on　all　our　roads。　　A　force；　number　estimated　as　high　as　eight　thousand；　are　reported　to　have　captured　Athena；　Alabama；　and　a　regiment　of　three　hundred　and　fifty　men　sent　to　its　relief。　　I　have　sent　Newton's　division　up　to　Chattanooga　in　cars；　and　will　send　another　division　to　Rome。　　If　I　were　sure　that　Savannah　would　soon　be　in　our　possession；　I　should　be　tempted　to　march　for　Milledgeville　and　Augusta；　but　I　must　first　secure　what　I　have。　Jeff。　Davis　is　at　Macon。

On　the　next　day　I　telegraphed　further　that　Jeff。　Davis　was　with　Hood　at　Palmetto　Station。　　One　of　our　spies　was　there　at　the　time；　who　came　in　the　next　night；　and　reported　to　me　the　substance　of　his　speech　to　the　soldiers。　　It　was　a　repetition　of　those　he　had　made　at　Colombia；　South　Carolina；　and　Mason；　Georgia；　on　his　way　out；　which　I　had　seen　in　the　newspapers。　　Davis　seemed　to　be　perfectly　upset　by　the　fall　of　Atlanta；　and　to　have　lost　all　sense　and　reason。　　He　denounced　General　Jos。　Johnston　and　Governor　Brown　as　little　better　than　traitors；　attributed　to　them　personally　the　many　misfortunes　which　had　befallen　their　cause；　and　informed　the　soldiers　that　now　the　tables　were　to　be　turned；　that　General　Forrest　was　already　on　our　roads　in　Middle　Tennessee；　and　that　Hood's　army　would　soon　be　there。　　He　asserted　that　the　Yankee　army　would　have　to　retreat　or　starve；　and　that　the　retreat　would　prove　more　disastrous　than　was　that　of　Napoleon　from　Moscow。　　He　promised　his　Tennessee　and　Kentucky　soldiers　that　their　feet　should　soon　tread　their　〃native　soil；〃　etc。；　etc。　　He　made　no　concealment　of　these　vainglorious　boasts；　and　thus　gave　us　the　full　key　to　his　future　designs。　　To　be　forewarned　was　to　be　forearmed；　and　I　think　we　took　full　advantage　of　the　occasion。

On　the　26th　I　received　this　dispatch。


CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；September　26；1864…10　a。m。

Major…General　SHERMAN；　Atlanta　It　will　be　b